Numbers Chapter 23

Balaam’s First Oracle

¹ Then Balaam told Balak, “Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and rams.” ² They offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³ Balaam told him, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I’ll go. Maybe the LORD will come to me, and I’ll tell you what he shows me.” He went to a bare hill. ⁴ God met him, and he said, “I’ve set up seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each one.” ⁵ The LORD gave Balaam a message, “Go tell Balak such and such.” ⁶ He went back to Balak, who was standing by his burnt offering with the leaders of Moab.

Num 23:1-6

            ⁷ Balaam took up this oracle:             

            “Balak brought me from Aram,

                  Moab’s king from the eastern mountains.

            ‘Come curse Jacob for me;

                  come denounce Israel.’

            ⁸ How can I curse someone God hasn’t cursed?

                  How can I denounce the one God hasn’t denounced?

            ⁹ I see him from the top of the cliffs

                        and look at him from the hills;

                  a people that lives off by itself

                        won’t be counted among the nations.

            ¹⁰ Who can count the dust of Jacob

                  or number even a fourth of Israel?         

            Let me die like the godly;

                  let my demise be like theirs!”

Num 23:7-10

¹¹ Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I told you to curse my enemies; you’ve blessed them!”

¹² “Don’t I have to say what the LORD tells me?”

Balaam’s Second Oracle

¹³ Balak said, “Come to a different place, where you can see them—even though it’ll just be the tail-end of them. Curse them for me from there.” ¹⁴ He took him to the Field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and ram on each one.

¹⁵ Balaam told him, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.” ¹⁶ The LORD met Balaam and gave him a message, “Go back to Balak, and say such and such.” ¹⁷ Balaam went to him, who was standing by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked, “What has the LORD said?”

Num 23:11-17

¹⁸ Balaam took up this oracle:

            “Balak, listen;

                  pay attention, son of Zippor.

            ¹⁹ God does not lie like people do

                  or change his mind like their offspring.

            Has he said and won’t do?

                  Has he spoken and not made it good?

            ²⁰ I’ve received a command to bless;

                  when he has blessed, I can’t revoke it.

            ²¹ He hasn’t observed misfortune in Jacob

                  or seen trouble in Israel.

            The LORD their God is with them,

                  and has been proclaimed their king.

            ²² God is bringing them out of Egypt;

                  he’s like the horns of a wild ox for them.

            ²³ There’s no omen against Jacob,

                  no fortunetelling against Israel.

            At the right time what God has done

                  will be said to Jacob;

                  it will be told to Israel.

            ²⁴ These people rise like a lioness;

                  they get up like a lion.

            They won’t lie down till they eat their prey

                  and drink the blood of the slain.”

Num 23:18-24

²⁵ Balak told him, “Don’t curse them at all or bless them at all!”

²⁶ But Balaam answered, “Didn’t I tell you I have to do what the LORD says?”

²⁷ Balak said to him, “Come on; I’ll take you to another place. Maybe God will agree to put a curse on them there.” ²⁸ Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks Jeshimon. ²⁹ Balaam told him, “Build seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and rams.” ³⁰ Balak did that and offered a bull and ram on each altar.                                                                             

Num 23:25-30